NHTSA Complaint #10167559 — 2002 HONDA CIVIC

MY 2002 HONDA CIVIC LX WAS TOTALED IN A LOW SPEED 2 CAR ACCIDENT. THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER FRONT AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. MY PASSENGER SUFFERED MINOR BRUISING FROM HER SEAT BELT. MY INJURIES INCLUDED SECOND DEGREE BURNS TO MY THROAT AND THE TOP OF MY HANDS. THE EMT'S, MEDICAL PERSONNEL IN THE ER, AND DOCTORS AT THE BURN UNIT SAID THE BURNS WERE CAUSED BY CHEMICALS EMITTED FROM THE AIRBAGS. IN ADDITION TO SEVERE PAIN AND MEDICAL BILLS, I LOST THREE WEEKS OF WORK WHILE MY BURNS HEALED. THE TREATMENTS AT THE BURN UNIT AND THE DAILY TREATMENTS AT HOME WERE NAUSEATING AND AT EXCRUCIATING. THE SCARS ON MY HANDS HAVE FADED BUT ARE STILL EVIDENCED BY THE PATCHES OF RED DISCOLORATION. THE BURN ON MY THROAT HAS HEALED WITHOUT SCARING BUT I HAVE TO PROTECT THE AREA FROM SUN EXPOSURE. I MUST PROTECT MY HANDS FROM THE SUN FOR AT LEAST A FULL YEAR AFTER THE ACCIDENT AND HAVE TO BE CAREFUL NOT TO SCRATCH MY HANDS AS THE SKIN IS STILL DELICATE. THE HONDA OWNERS MANUAL AND AIRBAG BOOKLET FOR THE CAR BOTH SAY THAT THE POWDER THAT COMES OUT OF THE AIRBAG IS HARMLESS UNLESS YOU ALREADY HAVE RESPIRATORY PROBLEMS AND BREATH IN THE POWDER. THEY SAY ABSOLUTELY NOTHING ABOUT THE DANGERS ASSOCIATED WITH CHEMICAL BURNS RESULTING FROM THIS POWDER, EVEN THOUGH, AS THE EMT'S AND DOCTORS INFORMED ME, THEY COMMONLY TREAT THESE BURNS. THEY DID STRESS THAT THE BURNS WERE CHEMICAL AND NOT JUST ABRASIVE. I CALLED AND SPOKE WITH A HONDA REPRESENTATIVE NOT LONG AFTER MY ACCIDENT WHO WAS VERY INSISTENT THAT MY BURNS IN NO WAY COULD HAVE RESULTED FROM THE CHEMICALS IN THE AIRBAGS, EVEN THOUGH HE IS NOT A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL AND DID NOT WITNESS MY INJURIES. IT WAS INSULTING TO HAVE MY CLAIMS THOROUGHLY DISMISSED BY HONDA AFTER ALL THE LOSS AND PAIN MY BURNS CAUSED. MY CONCERN IS THAT HONDA AND OTHER AUTOMOBILE MANUFACTURER'S (I'VE LOOKED AT OTHER OWNER'S MANUALS) NOT ONLY FAIL TO WARN CONSUMERS ABOUT THE RISK OF CHEMICAL BURN FROM AIRBAGS BUT ACTUALLY CLAIM THAT THE CHEMICALS ARE HARMLESS! *JB